Giuseppe Rossi has a thought

Posted 10 March 2012 - 10:04 AM

Rybka

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I'll give you that Rossi is way better than Chandler, but that's somewhat irrelevant to my point. If you think the US is in the loss column in terms of quality exported quality imported, you're not paying attention.

And he hasn't chosen to be exclusively Italian, he's chosen to be an Italian national team player. He's got dual nationality, like probably a few million other Americans. He's still American. Why am I interested in Michael Bradley's soccer games? Because he's American. Why don't I complain about journalists and posters discussing countless other Americans playing overseas even though, unlike Bradley, most are not in the USNT? Because they're still American soccer players, and that's interesting to me and plenty of other people.

Rossi is a "traitor", and as far as I am concerned, no amount of word-twisting can change the fact. Rossi could have easily been a starter for the US from the get go. Chandler couldn't pick up the towels for Germany. A world of difference.

Rossi's motive to switch was his loyalty to Italy, despite being born and raised in the US. I hope he does not come back and play in RB Arena, or in MLS, but since he is a dual citizen, he has the right to do so.

If you want to make an interesting comparison, think of Enrico Fermi, the "father of the atomic bomb". He left Italy for the US for a darn good reason - fighting for democracy over fascism. Fermi had a darn good reason to switch from Italy to the US.

Posted 10 March 2012 - 12:47 PM

JBigjake54

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Rossi is a "traitor", and as far as I am concerned, no amount of word-twisting can change the fact.

Grow up! You are the one twisting words. First off, he is not a traitor. He has not betrayed his country. He has simply chosen to play soccer for Italy, where his father (& perhaps mother) was born. AFAIK, even Tim Howard has dual nationality, and has a Hungarian passport (through his mom).You are mad that Rossi chose Italy. I am not happy about it, but am not furious over the decision. If I was at a US-Italy game (& I have been - have you?) & he was on the field, I might even boo his introduction, or when he touches the ball. However, I wouldn't rant about it, chant "traitor", or throw things at him. http://www.yanksarec...tionality-squad

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams.

Posted 10 March 2012 - 01:27 PM

irishapple21

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Grow up! You are the one twisting words. First off, he is not a traitor. He has not betrayed his country. He has simply chosen to play soccer for Italy, where his father (& perhaps mother) was born. AFAIK, even Tim Howard has dual nationality, and has a Hungarian passport (through his mom).You are mad that Rossi chose Italy. I am not happy about it, but am not furious over the decision. If I was at a US-Italy game (& I have been - have you?) & he was on the field, I might even boo his introduction, or when he touches the ball. However, I wouldn't rant about it, chant "traitor", or throw things at him. http://www.yanksarec...tionality-squad

The reason people call Rossi a traitor is because he was born and raised in the USA and benefited from the US Soccer youth system to develop his talents. Then, he turned around and chose to play for Italy instead of his native land. It's his right to make that choice, but it's also our right to call him out as a traitor for doing it.

Players like Howard who are dual-nationality but are born and raised in the USA or players like Juan Agudelo who may have been born overseas, but has lived nearly his entire life in the USA and came up through an academy system in the USA, are completely different matters than Rossi's situation. Also, players like Timmy Chandler aren't traitors to the country they were born and raised in because those countries had no interest in letting him play for their national squads.

Posted 10 March 2012 - 01:56 PM

magicmoron

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Giuseppe is a nice guy and a great soccer player who's represented New Jersey soccer formidably well to the World. I wish him all the best. He is also getting to be hugely popular in Italy, Prandelli likes him a lot, and it's even money that he and Crazy Mario will retire with a World Cup trophy under their belts. He hasn't said a bad word about his native country or about the Metro soccer scene and deserves better than the crap he's getting.

The US will produce other great players - in fact it already is - and it will also keep on importing plenty of talent from abroad and we'll be thinking of Timmy Chandler and Co. as a True American Sporting Hero in no time. We can't logically do that and still gripe about Giuseppe's personal decision without exposing ourselves as massive hypocrites.

Posted 10 March 2012 - 03:23 PM

Rybka

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Rossi spent his first 12 years in the US. Then he went to Italy to seek his professional soccer fortune. When he was 19 years old, he turned down a personal invitation from Arena to be on the USA WC 2006 team which played Italy among other countries. He later joined Italy's national team and has continued to play in la liga and for Italy.

When and if Rossi plays in Red Bull Arena or Met-Life Stadium, I will NOT be among those welcoming him back to New Jersey, USA.

Posted 10 March 2012 - 06:42 PM

Rooney22

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Grow up! You are the one twisting words. First off, he is not a traitor. He has not betrayed his country. He has simply chosen to play soccer for Italy, where his father (& perhaps mother) was born. AFAIK, even Tim Howard has dual nationality, and has a Hungarian passport (through his mom).You are mad that Rossi chose Italy. I am not happy about it, but am not furious over the decision. If I was at a US-Italy game (& I have been - have you?) & he was on the field, I might even boo his introduction, or when he touches the ball. However, I wouldn't rant about it, chant "traitor", or throw things at him. http://www.yanksarec...tionality-squad

Traitor or not he showed a lack of class with his exaggerated celebration of his goal against the US in the confed cup. I remember one time when Podolski scored for Germany against Poland (in Euro 2008 I believe) and did nothing but jog back to the center circle.

Posted 11 March 2012 - 09:30 AM

BlancDaBody

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Really? You wish death on him? How? Car crash? Death on the field?

I don't think anyone is 100% serious about him being a traitor (in the Benedict Arnold/Tokyo Rose sense). Its just fun to hate this fool. With that said, I wouldn't piss on him if he were trapped beneath a flaming, overturned spaghetti truck.

Posted 11 March 2012 - 12:02 PM

juberish

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Look, its obviously glory chasing. Its fine if you want to play for the bigger team, but stop ridding the fence and get off our nuts. He could have meant so much more to us than he ever will for Italy. We don't have to be rational or fair, he denied us in favor of a more glamorous option, you're pissing in the wind if you think you're going to stop the Rossi hate.